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20 Jul 2015

Chief Security Officer (CSO) to former president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, Gordon Obua, is being investigated over alleged money laundering, sources close to the administration have said.

Obua, who was detained on Thursday, had been going in and out of the headquarters of the Department of State Services (DSS), which initially asked him to report to the office daily.

Sources, however, alleged that Obua recently laundered an unestimated amount of hard currency out of the country, leading to the probe.

It was also gathered that the case of the former CSO was closely linked to that of the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Colonel Sambo Dasuki (retd), whose houses in Abuja, Kaduna and Sokoto were raided by the DSS on Thursday.

Sources in the administration said the former CSO was suspected to have laundered an undisclosed amount of money abroad recently, though the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was not involved in the investigation.

It was gathered that the former CSO was being accused of maintaining close links with some Niger Delta militants, who were suspected of being in possession of some ammunition, allegedly procured with the $15 million initially seized by South African government.

It was gathered that Obua was granted a three-year study leave, alongside former spokesman of the DSS, Marylyn Ogar, but was recalled at the start of the investigation.

He was initially asked to report daily to the headquarters but, on Thursday, the service decided to detain him, a source said.

“The former CSO is being investigated alongside the former NSA over alleged links with some militants. The government suspects that he moved some undisclosed amount abroad recently and that it could be a case of money laundering. “He was granted three-year study leave after his tenure, but was recalled alongside Marylyn Ogar, the former spokesperson of DSS,” the source said.

The fear in government circles is that the CSO might have used his links to the militants to aid oil bunkering activities. Some youths of the Niger Delta are, however, believed to be angry with his detention, this informing a close monitoring of the area.